A $5 fee Bridgewater charged a resident for a compact disc recording of a council meeting has ended up costing the Somerset County town more than $17,000. Resident Tom Coulter filed a complaint about the fee in 2008, saying he should pay the actual cost of the CD, and this year the New Jersey Government Record Council agreed. After having paid more than $14,000 in legal fees defending the case, Bridgewater also had to pay $3,500 to cover Coulter's legal fees and give him a $4.04 refund.

Most NJ.com users are expressing outrage over what they consider to be wasteful spending, including this comment from splishkid:

Typical of public sector. No common sense. In private sector they would have spent about 30 seconds negotiating and been done with it. There is no accountability or concern for wasting tax payer's money. They put principle ahead of best business practice. No one did a cost/benefit analysis. Even if they won and the guy paid $5 the Town still loses $16,995. What complete idiots. They should be held accountable. Again I say-This would never happen in private sector. They don't give two hoots about OUR money!!!